Invisible Cage
by Mewser
Summary: On hold for the moment. Ro's in danger, and there's nothing Zeta can do about it...
1. Unsuspected Peril

**A/N:** Hi. I've been hoping to see some new TZP stories, or a continuation of some of the unfinished ones… (pretty please?). This is my first story post. Hope you like it. :)

P.S. – you never know what to expect…  
**  
Disclaimer: **I do not own TZP, which was a great show. See the disclaimer on my bio for more info.

**INVISIBLE CAGE**

Chapter 1  
Unsuspected Peril

Thousands of tiny, twinkling stars studded the deep, dark sky. Small, puffy clouds drifted lazily across the gloom. Even though the crescent moon was bright, it didn't do much to illuminate the scenery below, Ro observed.

She removed her gaze from the night sky to look over at Zee, who was behind the wheel. "How much longer till we reach the next town?" she asked. It was a cool night and the wind felt good on her face, but it made her hair fly wildly and it blocked her sight. She pushed her hair out of her face.

"Judging from our current speed and the lack of traffic, we'll reach the next town in thirty-four minutes," Zee replied.

"Just how big is this town, anyway?" Ro asked, as she locked her hands behind her head and leaned back, anxious to get herself into a nice hotel.

"The town is called Lockset. It's not very big. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to find any luxury hotels there," Zee said, knowing why Ro had asked.

"Go figure," Ro huffed.

Zee looked at her with his holographic, navy-blue eyes. He was about to say something when, suddenly, a loud, thundering rumble and a large ball of flames made them look up to the sky.

As they watched, the fiery ball streaked across the dark sky and came crashing down behind a tree line not so far away with a loud explosion that shook the earth.

"A meteor?" Ro said.

Zee slowed the car and then made a U-turn.

"Zee, what are you doing?" Ro asked.

"We have to go see if anyone was hurt," Zee replied.

"But you said the next town is half an hour away. Why would there be anyone living out here, in the middle of nowhere?" Ro said, not looking too happy about it.

"We have to know for sure, Ro. There could be someone living out there. Perhaps in a cottage, or on a small farm. We have to check," Zee said.

Ro sank into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. She was overcome with fatigue and the only thought in her mind was to find a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in. "Fine," she said. "But you're getting out of the car. I'm staying right here."

o—o—o

Eight minutes later, Ro found herself following Zee, as they trudged down a small but steep hill in the densely-forested area. They'd left the car because it was impossible to drive it through the rough terrain.

Ro couldn't see where she was going. She was practically taking blind steps. But Zee's vision allowed him to see in the dark without a problem as he led them toward the crash site.

"Zee, could you—" Ro managed to say, before slipping on a rather smooth rock and falling forward.

Zee turned around and caught her.

As she regained her balance, Ro said, "Do you think you could light the way? I can't see where I'm going."

Zee apologized, and then dropped his hologram. The image of a young, dark-haired man was replaced by a tall, metallic robot. He opened his chest compartments and activated his internal light sources, which gave out extremely powerful beams of light. "Is this better?" Zee asked.

"Aah!" Ro cringed before him as she shut her eyes and threw her arm in front of her face. "Thanks, Zee. But now I'm blind!" she said.

Zee would have grinned if he'd still been in his holographic human form. He took hold of her free arm, drawing her close, and they continued to make their way toward the site of the crash.

A few minutes later, they found it.

"You see? There's no one around here," Ro said, observing the crater and the surrounding area.

Zee stepped closer to the crater, lighting it. There was a round, black sphere in the middle of it, which seemed charred. Smoke was still coming out of it.

"What is it?" Ro asked, stepping close to Zee.

"I don't know," Zee said. "But it looks man-made."

"It looks like a giant bowling ball," Ro said.

"It looks like it's made of metal. I would say it resembles a cannonball," Zee said.

"A what?" Ro looked at him strangely.

"In ancient times, when there was a battle at sea, ships would be equipped with large, tubular firing mechanisms called cannons that, when activated, would launch large balls of metal, much like that one," he said, pointing at the black ball, "into enemy ships or lands to cause destruction."

"How crude," Ro said. "Well, thanks for the history lesson, tin-man, but we're nowhere near the ocean, so that doesn't explain what this thing could possibly be."

Zee looked at the black, metal ball. "I believe cannons were also used in land wars."

As Ro scrutinized the heavy-looking black ball, her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to have a closer look.

Zee looked on as she stepped into the crater. He scanned the sphere, observing that it was not hot. "That's strange," Zee said to himself. If he could have shown it, he would have frowned as he reviewed the logic that told him that the ball should have been searing hot.

Something shiny caught Ro's eye. She crouched as she continued to look at it. Suddenly, something moved. Her eyes widened. Her sight was glued to the black sphere. Had it been just a trick of the light…?

Zee's logic didn't concur with the information his scanners were providing him. He wasn't malfunctioning, and there wasn't any error in his logic. The black sphere should have been scorching hot, yet…

Ro made a small, choked sound. Her mouth gaped open.

"Ro?" Zee said. Apprehension was beginning to grip at his sensors.

"Zee… there's something moving here…" Ro said, her eyes wide, her throat tight.

Warning bells went off in Zee's head. /Danger!/ his logic cried out.

He dashed forward and caught Ro by the waist, lifting her and hoisting her away from the crater and the black sphere.

He ran a short distance away before slowing down and releasing Ro. He turned her in his arms and looked at her face. The girl's expression was blank and unresponsive.

"Ro," Zee said. "Ro!" He gently shook her to bring her out of her stupor.

The girl blinked and looked at the synthoid's eyes, confusion evident in her face.

"What just happened?" she said.

"Something's not right, Ro," Zee said. "That sphere should be very hot, but my scanners indicate that its temperature was at only seventy-six degrees Fahrenheit."

"But how? It had been on fire," Ro said.

"What did you see, Ro?" Zee asked.

"I… I don't know. There was something shining, and it moved. I don't know what happened after that," Ro said.

Zee looked at her. His robotic facial features didn't give Ro much of a clue as to what he could have been thinking. But, either way, she had a bad feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach.

Right then, a loud rumbling made them turn and look in the direction of the crater. A yellow light was coming from the crater, and it was increasingly becoming brighter by the second. The earth shook beneath their feet.

"Zee, what's going on?" Ro said, a hint of fear and worry in her voice.

Zee grasped her hand. "Ro," he said. "Run!"

The ground rumbled and the trees shook all around them.

Zee tugged Ro into a hurried pace as they ran away from the crater, jumping over tree roots and rocks, making their way uphill in the direction of their car.

Ro chanced a glance behind her. What she saw terrified her. "ZEE! HURRY!" she screamed.

Somehow, the light had become brighter, and it was engulfing the forest behind them. The source of light was following them, slithering like some sort of monster through the forest floor, and it was about to reach them at a frightening speed.

Ro felt its presence dangerously close behind her. In a heartbeat, the light engulfed them as the creature closed in on both of them.

o—o—o

_To be continued..._

**A/N: **I'm not sure when I'll be able to update. Hopefully soon. Please review and tell me what you think, but please be gentle; I'm not very experienced. Thanks. :) 


	2. Through the Eyes of a Spectator

**A/N:** Thank you so much for your reviews. This one's a short chapter, but it's essential the story. More coming soon. :)

Chapter 2  
Through the Eyes of a Spectator

Ro awoke with a gasp, eyes wide, and saw the pale color of the ceiling as light trickled in through a nearby window.

'A dream,' she thought with relief. 'It was all just a dream.'

Ro figured that she'd probably fallen asleep while Zee had been driving. She wasn't usually a heavy sleeper, but the exhaustion she had felt last night would explain why she hadn't woken up when they'd finally reached the town. Zee had probably carried her into their hotel room after that.

Her nightmare was very vivid in her mind, though. She could clearly recall the terror she felt when they were being chased through the forest by a blinding light.

As she reflected on her dream, she became aware of a strange lack of sensation as she lied there on the bed. Her breathing was calm, but her body felt…

Ro tried to move her hands. She struggled to move any part of her body, only to find that she couldn't.

She was gripped by a feeling of dread. 'Why can't I move?' she questioned.

And where was Zee? Maybe he could explain what was going on.

As fear and panic began to set in, she heard the door open. Her head automatically turned to face the approaching person, but Ro felt as if she hadn't been the one to move it.

"Ro?"

'Zee!' Ro thought, relief washing over her as she saw him, as if everything would be all right now that he was with her.

But her desperate tries to communicate with him were useless. Ro couldn't move, she couldn't talk. Her body was ignoring her commands. It was like watching everything that was happening through the eyes of another person. She had no control of her body whatsoever.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to control her own movements, but she couldn't. The only thing she could do was watch.

She was a spectator.

A powerless, helpless spectator.

'What's happening to me?!' Ro cried desperately within herself, wanting to shout. But her lips remained still.

She felt as if she was in a nightmare, desperately struggling to wake up but being trapped within the confines of her own mind.

Yet, somehow, she knew that she was not dreaming. Her lack of control was real.

Someone else had taken over her body. And she was trapped within her own mind, able to see everything that happened, but unable to do anything about it.

'Zee! Help! Help me!'

o—o—o

_To be continued..._


	3. Ro's Apathy

**A/N: **For the sake of the story, let's say all of the medical stuff is true. ;)

Chapter 3  
Ro's Apathy

Zee stepped into the room, carefully closing the door behind himself. He carried a glass of orange juice and a bagel on a dark-green tray. Walking toward Ro, he set the tray on the nightstand next to her bed.

Ro sat up in bed as she saw him.

"I'm glad you're awake, Ro. You've been asleep for a long time. It is now one o'clock in the afternoon. How are you feeling?" Zee asked.

But Ro stared emotionlessly at his concerned face.

Zee felt strange; Ro's silence and cold stare unsettled him. It was a feeling he'd never felt before. Did her silence mean that she was angry with him? Perhaps she was waiting for him to say something else? Was she expecting an apology?

He looked down at the hem of the bedspread, overcome by guilt.

Ro's eyes followed Zee's downward gaze, almost curiously, and met with the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry about last night, Ro," Zee said, regretfully. "The black sphere we encountered was a bomb. I figured it out too late, when it was about to explode. The bomb had only emitted light, but if the explosion had been destructive, we wouldn't have been able to outrun it. I'm not sure what happened after that, but you lost consciousness. I carried you to the car and drove us to Lockset, which is where we are now. There aren't any medical hospitals here, so I brought you to see a local practitioner instead. We are in his home, where he examines patients that visit him."

Zee looked up, but found that Ro was intently scrutinizing the edge of the bed. He didn't know what she was looking for, or why she was looking so hard at it, but he thought that asking her about it might upset her further. Instead, he decided to offer her food. His internal clock told him that it had been more than twenty hours since the last time she'd eaten.

"You should eat, Ro. I remember you said, '_Onion bagels with cream cheese and pepperoncinis are my fave._'" Zee quoted her, using a playback of what she had said at a deli shop a few days ago. "So I brought you some," Zee said with a smile, holding the tray out in front of her encouragingly.

But then he realized that using a playback of Ro's own voice had probably been a bad idea.

Ro's eyes fixed on him with a frozen stare.

The awkward feelings within Zee intensified. "Oh. I forgot— you said not to do that. I'm sorry," he said, quickly apologizing.

Ro glanced at the food tray, and then looked up at him again.

"Aren't you hungry?" Zee asked, concerned.

But Ro didn't respond. She only gave him a distrustful glare.

He wondered what was wrong with her. Ro was acting very unusual and looked at him suspiciously, as if she didn't know who he was. Her behavior disconcerted him, but he didn't know why she would be acting so strange.

As Zee tried to figure out why, his memory went back to their encounter with the bomb. When they'd been running to get away from it, he had expected it to explode with a destructive force. However, that hadn't happened. Instead, it had only emitted a powerful explosion of light that hadn't burned or destroyed anything within its range. Zee had been surprised, but thoroughly relieved. He concluded that a bomb like that was probably used in battle to incapacitate its targets by blinding them. He still wondered, though, where it came from and why. As far as Zee knew, there weren't any wars within the country.

But even though the bomb had only emitted light, Ro had fallen unconscious, and Zee couldn't figure out why.

And then a thought struck him.

Could it be that, besides temporary blindness, the exposure to the blast of light was also meant to cause other, more harmful effects on humans? What if it had damaged her senses in some way?

As Zee's thoughts became more worrisome, Ro increased his concern by sticking her left index finger into the orange juice, and then her whole hand. The juice spilled over the top of the glass and onto the tray.

"Ro," Zee said, gently pulling Ro's hand out of the glass and removing the tray from her proximity. He left the tray on a small table at the corner of the room before going to the bathroom to procure a hand towel.

When he came back, Ro no longer had a serious expression on her face. She was staring at her juice-soaked hand in awe. She gaped at it closely, marveling at the color of the liquid and the cool feeling of it as it ran down her arm. But then she became aware of its sweet, tangy scent, and instinctively drew her hand into her mouth to discover more about this strange substance. Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise as her taste buds came in contact with the juice.

"Ro?" Zee said in confusion, as Ro eagerly licked the juice off her hand. It was as if she had never come in contact with orange juice before— or even Zee, for that matter.

He pulled her hand out of her mouth as gently as he could and put the hand towel over it as he tried talking to her.

"Ro… Do you recognize me?" Zee asked. His navy-blue eyes locked with her crystal-blue ones as he anxiously waited for any sign of recognition from her.

But Ro's gaze quickly dropped to the small, white terry-cloth towel over her hand. She was perplexed at its unique texture, and...

"Ro, that is not a nutritious item," Zee said, frowning as he tried to remove the towel from her mouth.

But Ro furrowed her eyebrows and growled at Zee, stubbornly resisting and pushing his hands away. Zee acquiesced and let her have the towel, knowing that she would not be able to eat it.

But that didn't stop her from choking on it.

Ro gagged. Her eyes widened as part of the towel lodged itself at the back of her throat. She flayed her hands in panic, not knowing what to do.

Zee immediately came to her aid. This time, Ro didn't resist as Zee pulled the towel out of her mouth. She coughed and gasped, breathing rapidly as she looked at Zee and then at the towel in his hand with a look of bewilderment.

"Would you like to have this towel back?" Zee asked nicely, offering it to her.

Ro pushed his hand away with a grimace.

Zee smiled. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Ro's safety if she came face-to-face with a towel again.

But Zee's smile was short-lived. As Ro looked at him, it was apparent that she didn't recognize him, and it troubled him deeply. Was this condition temporary and would she return to normal, or had Ro changed permanently?

As Zee contemplated each possibility, he was about to drop his hologram and reveal his true synthoid form to see if Ro would recognize him that way.

But then someone knocked on the door.

Maintaining his human hologram, Zee opened the door and saw a tall, middle-aged man in a white physician's coat. He wore large, round glasses and carried a silver digital notepad at his side.

"Mr. Smith, hello," the man said, smiling warmly at Zee and shaking his hand.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Ross. Please come in," Zee said, opening the door wider and stepping back to let the man in.

"I see our patient is awake," the doctor said, smiling as he came inside the room and saw Ro sitting up in the bed. "I'm Dr. Mark Ross. How are you doing?" the doctor said to Ro, extending his hand.

Ro stared at him blankly in response. She looked at Zee, and then at Dr. Ross suspiciously.

"It's okay, Ro. He's here to help you," Zee said.

"What's your name?" Dr. Ross asked her in a friendly tone.

But Ro looked at Zee, ignoring the doctor's attention.

The doctor gave Zee an inquiring look.

Zee looked at him, sadness and worry reflecting on his features. "This is not her normal behavior, doctor. Ro hasn't said a word, and she doesn't seem to recognize me. She also seems completely unfamiliar with common items, such as a towel, or a glass of orange juice. I'm afraid that something may have caused her to her to lose her memory," he explained.

The doctor frowned at hearing this new information. "Last night, when you came in, you told me that you were out hiking together when she suddenly lost consciousness and fell, is that correct?" he asked.

"Yes," Zee said.

"Did she receive any head trauma?" Dr. Ross asked.

"It's possible she might have hit her head when she fell," Zee said. "My back was turned to her when she lost consciousness. Because I had been holding her hand and felt her fall, I was only able to detain her slightly, but I'm not sure if she hit her head."

"Does she have any existing medical conditions?" the doctor asked.

Zee looked at Dr. Ross, uncertain. "I'm not sure," he said. "I've never seen her have anything more than seasonal allergies."

"Huh," Dr. Ross responded, jotting down a note with his stylus on the screen of his digital notepad. But then he stopped and glanced at Ro and then at Zee as if he was trying to figure out something. "Clarify something for me," he said. "How, exactly, are you related to her, Mr. Smith?"

"I am her guardian, and also her brother." As Zee replied, this is what went on in his head:  
/Definition: **Guardian** — **One who is** **responsible for the care and protection** **of another**./  
/Definition: **Brother** — A **close male friend** or comrade; one who shares a common ancestry, **allegiance**, character, or purpose with another./

"I see," the doctor replied. "Have there been any stressful events in her life recently?"

Zee wondered what he should say. "Stressful events can cause memory loss?" he asked.

"Well, yes. Quite often, people who are faced with overwhelmingly stressful or upsetting situations may subconsciously choose to forget the things that upset them, such as an incident of abuse, or a traumatic event," the doctor explained.

Zee was quietly absorbing this information. Had he brought so much stress into Ro's life that she had unconsciously chosen to forget him?

"Well, has she been under any type of stress?" the doctor repeated.

Zee knew the answer. 'Yes. She has been under a great deal of stress,' he thought, guiltily. 'Always running because you are a government fugitive will do that to you. And then there was last night's encounter with the bomb. Ro has been under too much stress.'

But, outwardly, he responded, "Yes. There was something in the forest that frightened us last night and we ran away from it. While we were running, Ro suddenly lost consciousness."

The doctor gave Zee a meaningful glance. "Now, _that_ could indicate a serious health problem," he said. After he made a note of Zee's remark on his notepad, he removed the stethoscope from his neck and fit the earpieces in his ears.

Ro's eyes had been scanning the perimeter of the room and the objects around her throughout Zee and Dr. Ross's conversation, but now her attention focused on Dr. Ross as he raised the stethoscope.

"Let's check your lungs," Dr. Ross said, nearing Ro to place the round end of the stethoscope on her chest.

Ro scowled and slapped it away.

The sudden impact with the stethoscope felt like an explosion in Dr. Ross's ears, making him cringe and jump back.

"Mr. Smith," the doctor said, as he removed the stethoscope and gently rubbed his ears, "why don't you help ease Ro while I listen to her lungs and check her vitals?"

Zee complied, facing her. "Ro, we want to find out if you are okay. Please let Dr. Ross examine you," he said, holding her hand. "It'll be okay. I'll be right here by your side."

Ro looked at him. Her almond-shaped eyes no longer gave him a cold stare, but gazed at him inquisitively instead, as if she understood that he was her friend.

"Good. Let's try this again," Dr. Ross said, bracing himself for another slap.

o—o—o

_To be continued..._

**A/N: **That was fun. Please review. :) Thanks!

**A/A/N:** Dr. Ross believed Zee when he said that he was Ro's guardian. He also probably thought that Zee could be Ro's older step- or half-brother (since they don't look like siblings), but he chose not to question him about it because he sensed that Zee was very sincere. (After all, Zee accepts that Ro is his family, and that he is Ro's "close male friend or comrade," a possible definition of "brother.")


	4. Zee's Decision

**A/N:** _Helloooo_ to everyone! Glad I could update again. :)  
**  
In this chapter:** Dr. Ross wishes he never has to examine another patient like Ro again, Zee wonders about insects, and Ro... well, you'll see. Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Please tell me what you think.

o—O—o

Chapter 4  
Zee's Decision

Dr. Ross rubbed the side of his face gently. "Well, I'll tell you one thing, Mr. Smith. She sure is strong," he said.

"I apologize on behalf of Ro," Zee said. "If she was herself, she would not have hit you."

"I understand," the doctor said. He now sported a fresh bruise on the side of his face, one on his left arm, and another one on his right shin— all Ro's doing, of course.

"Well, here's what I've gathered so far," the doctor said, sitting on a chair as he faced Zee, who sat on a chair in front of him. "There's a small bump on the left side of the back of her head, which she probably got when she fell, but, thankfully, no fracture. This may or may not be the cause of her amnesia. But what I'm more concerned with is determining what caused her to lose consciousness. If she fainted due to an undiagnosed medical problem, we want to find out what's going on so we can treat it," he said. "I wasn't able to detect anything wrong with her heart or her lungs; she actually seems to be very fit and healthy. I'm assuming she exercises frequently."

"Yes," Zee said, thinking of all their encounters with bad guys, policemen, security guards, natural disasters, and the NSA. "We run a lot."

"That's very good," Dr. Ross said. "Now, although she seems fine physically, like I said, there could be some masked condition that's affecting her. We don't have the medical equipment necessary to perform those types of diagnostic exams here in this town. You should take her to a hospital in Central City or somewhere else to have a full medical evaluation."

"I understand, doctor," Zee said, looking extremely sad as he looked at Ro. Her gaze was focused out the window, at a bird that had landed on the sill.

"And, the amnesia…" Zee asked. "Is it permanent?"

Dr. Ross frowned as he shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't determine whether it's permanent or transient. If it was caused by head trauma, it could be either. It may take hours, days, months, or years to recover her memory, and, even then, she may not recover all of it. If it was caused by a medical condition, you'd have to know how it's affected her brain to come up with a possible prognosis," he said.

Zee's disheartened gaze met the floor. "It was my fault. If she hadn't been with me…"

The doctor felt sympathy for Zee and patted his arm. "It's all right, son. Things like these happen without announcing themselves; it's not your fault. Blaming yourself won't help your sister. What she needs from you now is help and support; you need to take action to help her recover." He took out a small, electronic business card and handed it to Zee. "Here's my number. When you get your sister to a hospital, give me a call and tell me how you're both doing."

Zee took the small card and nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Ross," he said.

They both stood, and Zee went to Ro's side. She looked up at him wordlessly.

As he observed how tired and tormented Zee looked, Dr. Ross added, "Tell you what. I noticed that she didn't eat what you brought her, and you haven't eaten anything since you arrived. Why don't you stay a bit longer and rest; you must be very tired. And maybe you can get your sister to eat something this time."

Zee was about to decline, but then remembered that Ro hadn't eaten anything. A taste of orange juice was the only thing she'd had so far.

"That's very generous of you, Dr. Ross. Thank you," Zee said.

"You're welcome," the doctor said, and then shook Zee's hand. He made his way to the door, but then turned around and added, "Oh, and I noticed that you don't have an extra cot in here. Where did you spend the night? On a chair?" The doctor chuckled.

Zee was about to answer, but then the doctor went on. "You can get an extra cot from the next room. Nobody's there right now. I'll go and tell my assistant to bring you some food and an extra pillow. If you need anything else, just call me or ask Patty, my assistant," the doctor said, before leaving Zee and Ro alone in the room.

Zee looked at Ro. Her inquisitive eyes met his.

"I'll be right back, Ro. I'm going to get a cot from the next room," Zee explained. He had no use for a cot, but he had to do what any other human would do in his situation, for fear that he would raise anyone's suspicions.

Ro gazed at Zee with curiosity as he left the room and closed the door, leaving her alone.

o—o—o

Once he entered the next room, Zee located a folded cot that was leaned against the wall. As he took hold of one side and moved it slightly, a cricket jumped out and landed on the back of his hand.

Zee's holographic eyes widened. He moved his hand closer to his face and smiled as he looked closely at the small creature with interest. He wondered if crickets were considered "gross" to humans and thought of showing it to Ro to ask her.

But then he remembered that Ro wouldn't know about it. She didn't know what orange juice was and she didn't know who Zee was. It was as if she'd forgotten everything she'd ever known and had started over from the beginning. It wouldn't be logical to expect her to know about insects and crickets anymore.

Once again, Zee was overcome by a pang of guilt for having ever involved Ro in his quests. Sadness gripped at his central processing unit.

What good was he to Ro? If he thought about it, it seemed as though he was only causing her more harm then good in her life, always dragging her from one place to another, putting her in unnecessary danger. The NSA had her picture on a wanted poster. She was a wanted fugitive, thanks to him.

Thinking about all that he'd caused her made him feel miserable. But then he remembered what Dr. Ross had said. Ro needed him to take action to help her; he wasn't helping her by wallowing in his sadness and guilt.

"I will help you get better, Ro," Zee promised resolutely. "You did not give up on me when I was in trouble. You went against everything to help me. I promise that I will do whatever it takes to help you. You're strong and persistent, and I know that you will recover."

He looked down at the cricket sadly. It moved its antennae around before making a leap to the floor.

"But when you do, I won't cause you any more trouble, Ro. I have brought too much stress into your life. You deserve to be happier."

And so, as Zee picked up the cot, he decided that he would leave Ro once and for all, after she made a full recovery.

His figurative heart was torn. He was deeply saddened, but he knew that it was for the best.

o—o—o

As Zee effortlessly carried the cot down the hall, he paused, noticing that the door to Ro's room was slightly open. 'Hmm...'

"Ro?" Zee asked, walking into the room.

He set the cot down beside the wall and looked around.

"Ro?"

He scanned the room, checking the bathroom and the closet, but Ro wasn't there.

Zee went out into the hallway and scanned it, but there were no signs of Ro. No other door was open, and his acute hearing only picked up the sounds of the doctor and another patient talking from within a nearby room.

He quickly made his way down the stairs, to the guest waiting area. There was no one in sight, but once Zee looked around, he immediately noticed that the front door was half open…

'Oh, no... Ro...'

o—o—o

_To be continued..._

Now what will Ro get herself into? Stay tuned!

...in the mean time, please submit a review. Thanks!


	5. Beetle Juice

**A/N: **Hope you guys are still with me! I love your reviews. :) Thank you so much to all of you who share your thoughts.

So far, the most important things Ro has kept in mind are: 1) things can be better perceived with the mouth, and 2) _towels are dangerous_.

**In this chapter:** Ro learns that not everything tastes as good as orange juice, while Zee plays the guessing game.

o—O—o

**Chapter 5  
**o— **Beetle Juice** —o

It shouldn't have seemed strange for a teenage girl to be walking down the street by herself, but, in a town where most of its residents knew one another, Ro stuck out like a sore thumb. This was due to two reasons. The first one was that she was a stranger.

The residents of Lockset were generally friendly to strangers. But, in Ro's case, the few people who saw her as she walked down the street stared at her as if she were an alien from outer space.

Of course, much of this reaction had to do with the fact that Ro _acted_ like an alien from outer space.

The outside world was bright, and everything around her was presented in fine detail, color, and texture. Ro was mystified and awed by everything she saw, and her curiosity made her approach and linger around anything that piqued her interest.

For instance, there was a rock (yes, _a_ _rock_), which she found near a picket fence.

To the uninterested eye, a rock was nothing special and could easily be ignored. The rock Ro found was about the size and shape of a mango, smooth and gray. The coolness of it against her palms was what captivated Ro the most. As she drew it close to her face and felt it with her cheek, a pleasant smile crossed her face.

Wanting to examine it further, she stuck out her tongue and slid it over the surface of the stone.

The smile instantly disappeared.

At that moment, something else caught Ro's attention and she dropped the rock. She approached a tree, gazing upwards to inspect its tall from. It intrigued her with its great size and numerous branches and leaves. She pressed and slid her hands against its trunk and felt its leaves, awed by the contrast between the tree's rough, brown bark and its smooth, green leaves. She was also impressed by its unyielding sturdiness as she gave it a slight push.

By sheer chance, her eyes fell upon a small and dark thing that was moving near her left hand.

Ro gaped at it intently, wondering what it was.

The thing moved upwards slowly, climbing the trunk with its six thin, stick-like legs. It was nearly half the size of Ro's thumb. Its back was black and shiny, almost glossy, and it had a small head, from which two long, hair-like things stuck out and moved from side to side.

It reached Ro's hand and climbed on.

Unfortunately for the beetle, Ro was intrigued with it— and wondered what it might taste like.

She brought her hand close to her face, eyeing the beetle as it crawled toward her third knuckle.

At that point, an elderly couple walking down the street was about to pass Ro.

They noticed the girl and looked at her as she drew her hand into her mouth—with a shiny, black beetle on it.

As Ro closed her mouth over the living beetle, the older woman gasped and her face became a mask of extreme disgust. She tugged her husband away, clamping her free hand over her mouth to fight back a wave of nausea. As they continued on their way, other people walking by wondered why the old couple was in such a rush.

Ro moved her tongue about in her mouth, flipping the beetle over and feeling its smooth back. Its tiny legs moved about erratically, tickling Ro's mouth as it tried to find a way to escape its naïve, but dangerous, enemy.

As she was about to decide whether she liked the taste of the beetle or not, the beetle moved between her molars. Without warning, and without really meaning to, Ro suddenly clamped down on it.

All of a sudden, her face contorted in disgust as the gooey insides of the beetle spewed all over her tongue. Ro opened her mouth, doubled over, and gagged.

Trying to find a way to get rid of the awful-tasting thing in her mouth, Ro stuck out her tongue and brushed it off with her hand. She managed to remove most of the beetle from her mouth, but the taste still remained.

Now desperate, Ro suddenly spat out the remaining beetle parts and guts from her mouth.

Once she was done, she looked down at the concrete sidewalk, at the pieces of the beetle, and shuddered.

(Lesson Number 3: beetle juice tastes _bad_.)

o—o—o

Meanwhile, somewhere in a nearby street...

"Ro!" Zee called out.

He looked from side to side, and then straight ahead, but found no sign of her.

Dr. Ross's house stood on a street that was intersected by another and formed a 'T.' From his front door, there were three ways to go: east, west, or north.

The big question was: Which way had Ro gone?

He couldn't just stand there and wonder about it; Ro could be heading farther away with each passing second. Zee knew he had to hurry, but what if he chose the wrong way?

He was well aware that the odds of him going in the wrong direction were slightly more than 66 percent. And, then again, even if he did choose the right direction, there were so many other smaller streets along the way which she could have taken.

A trial-and-error method would be the only way of locating her.

After carefully scanning each street, he made a decision and picked one. Hoping that he was right, he began to run in the direction he had chosen.

However, as the odds indicated, chances were… he was probably going the wrong way.

o—o—o

As Ro gradually recovered from her unpleasant ordeal, taking in quick gasps of air, a gentle breeze blew in her direction, letting her catch the sweet smell of a nearby rosebush.

Ro turned around, looking for the source of the scent. Instead of finding it, her gaze landed on a vibrant, multi-colored bed of petunias that was planted on someone's front yard, and her face instantly lit up. So many colorful things in such a small space fascinated her.

She walked up to the flowers and dropped to her knees in front of them, touching the vibrant petals and marveling at the daintiness and softness of each one.

Gently, she plucked a petal from a purple petunia. She rolled it between her right thumb and index finger, relishing its soft texture, and then pressed it and dug her nail into it. The pigment from the petal stained her fingers.

She was about to put it in her mouth, but then a cat sauntered up to Ro and rubbed itself against the side of her leg, purring and meowing for food.

Ro scrutinized the small, furry thing, wondering what to make of it. It was orange and white, and seemed friendly.

As Ro put her hand over the cat's head and felt its soft fur, she saw that it had deep-blue eyes. This small detail made her remember the tall, dark-haired man with the navy blue eyes. Nothing really came to her mind about him, except that his eyes were nearly the same color as the cat's eyes.

The cat meowed underneath her hand, rubbing its head contently against her fingers. Ro liked the way the cat's soft fur felt, but she decided not to find out what this particular thing tasted like.

Suddenly, her attention was once again drawn away by something else, and she stood up.

A loud, captivating sound was coming from somewhere three blocks away, and Ro was eager to find out what was making it.

o—o—o

_To be continued… _

**A/N: **Ah, Ro is slowly learning from her experiences! …But not all her experiences will be as pleasant or as mild as the ones she's been through so far. Tune in later to find out what will happen next! And _please_ review. :)


	6. Brawl in the Alley

**A/N: **Please excuse any mistakes I may have missed in this chapter (spelling, grammar, etc.); I wrote it in one sitting. (But please send me a message if you do find any mistakes.)

I promise you that the next chapter will shed some light on what caused Ro's current condition. But, for the moment… Please review!

**In this chapter:** Ro learns to embrace the ways of a thief.

o—O—o

**Chapter 6  
**o— Brawl in the Alley —o

An hour had already passed, and Zee was still searching the streets for Ro.

He heard loud music coming from a nearby street, and turned into it. The source of the sound was a music store that was selling audio equipment for cars, and they were demonstrating the crystal clarity and loud volume capabilities of their speakers.

The street was also lined with other stores of all types, and there were lots of people doing their afternoon shopping. He passed a hotdog stand where a large, round man was angrily arguing with the small, skinny server.

"I tell ya— somebody stole my hotdog! So give me another one!" said the customer.

But the younger man behind the food stand merely laughed. "Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you ate it and just forgot about it," he said, crossing his arms.

"No, no, no! Somebody stole it! Now give me a hotdog, or give me my money back!" the customer said, reaching over and grabbing the younger man by the front of his white apron.

As they continued to argue, Zee passed them by, scanning the street for his friend. There were many teenagers and young women, but none of them were Ro.

'Perhaps she went into one of these stores,' Zee thought, deciding to check all the stores on both sides of the street.

As he opened the door to the nearest store— one called Arty's Fabrics and Sewing Supplies— and went in, he didn't see that the girl he was looking for came out of a door several stores down, practically stumbling out, and making a hasty getaway.

The store owner, a tall man with a white cast on his left leg, supporting himself on crutches, hobbled out of the store after the girl.

"Come back here!" he shouted.

But Ro paid no attention as she continued to run farther away from the store, with a large, round bread in her mouth.

"Stella!" the store owner shouted as he went back inside his bakery. "Call the police! We've been robbed!"

o—o—o

Ro continued to run, pushing past anyone that crossed her way.

She saw a narrow space between two stores and quickly darted into the dark alley.

Once she was deep enough in the alley to be out of sight, she slumped against one of the walls, breathing hard from running. She removed the bread from her mouth.

Ro had never tasted anything like it— a cinnamon roll. It was soft and sweet, gooey and delicious, and caused Ro's mouth to water with anticipation. She'd eaten two in the bakery before the store owner had noticed and come limping and shouting at her angrily. That's when Ro had clamped her teeth onto another roll and had dashed out of there as if her life had depended on it.

In the short time since she had woken up that day, Ro had never known such wonderful things existed. There were so many sights, sounds, smells, textures, and flavors— and Ro wanted to experience them all.

The cinnamon bun was, by far, the most delicious thing she had tasted, right next to the orange juice. The beetle had been the worst.

She had learned that solid food was easier to swallow when she repeatedly chomped down on it to grind it into smaller pieces. She had also learned that stores were excellent places to sample many interesting and wonderful new things, but moving fast was absolutely vital if she wanted to continue exploring.

Ro ate the bread, unmindful of the fact that her face was now covered in sticky streaks of everything she had tasted while on her eating spree. And her shirt had stains and substances of every type, as well— dirt, ketchup, mustard, chocolate, grease, breadcrumbs, cinnamon, sugar, frosting, and who knew what else.

As she ate the last piece of cinnamon roll, wishing she had another one, she was completely oblivious to the dark figures that moved from the far side of the alley and came toward her.

"Hey," said a gruff voice.

Ro looked at the source of the sound as she swallowed the remains of the bread, finally noticing the two teenage, human males.

"What do we have here, Rodney?" said the first male.

Ro licked her fingers, ignoring them.

"Well, Jack, it looks like something the cat dragged in," said Rodney, as he pummeled his fists together.

"Yeah," said Jack. "An intruder on our turf."

"You'd better have the creds to pay up for trespassing on our territory, honey. Or we're gonna take it right outta you," said Rodney.

They neared Ro, grinning maliciously as they eyed her up and down.

Ro decided that she didn't like these guys, and didn't care to stick around to find out what they wanted.

She turned to walk away, but the one named Jack grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

"Hold it, sweets! You ain't going anywhere without paying us first!" said Jack.

Ro clenched her jaw and growled angrily.

"You hold 'er, Jack," said Rodney, nearing Ro, "while I—"

All of a sudden, Ro's clenched fist rammed into Rodney's face, making him stumble into Jack, who lost his grip on Ro.

"Ow!" cried out Rodney, holding his nose.

"That little—"

"Don't just stand there! Go get her!" said Rodney, pushing his friend forward.

"Right!" said Jack, and ran after Ro.

Ro was nearly out of the alley, when, suddenly, she was tackled from behind. She was slammed down painfully onto the grimy, concrete floor, feeling the heavy weight of the thug on top of her.

Ro struggled, twisting beneath Jack.

"_Nu-uh-uh_, you ain't gettin' away _that _easily!" chided Jack, as he grabbed Ro roughly by the arms and pulled her up.

Ro struggled, but she couldn't get loose from his tight grip as he dragged her back into the deeper part of the alley.

Angered, and in a fury fueled by frustration, Ro screamed— in much the same way a cornered, wild animal would shriek before attacking its enemies in a last attempt to free itself.

o—o—o

After coming out of the third store, and unsuccessful in his search for Ro, Zee heard a distressed cry coming from somewhere nearby.

"Ro!" he said, realizing that it was her, and ran toward the sound.

As he reached a bakery, he saw that there was a police cruiser parked on the side of the street. He slowed his gait to be able to glance into the store through the large glass window. He only saw two police officers talking to a man in crutches, but no sign of Ro. He was relieved that she had at least been able to steer clear of the police. Even though it was a small town, Zee was sure that they would have their wanted posters tacked to a wall in their office.

He picked up speed and ran down the street, listening closely to everything around him.

"Ro! Where are you!" he shouted.

Just then, he picked up the sound of a struggle. He stopped for a moment to analyze it and figure out where it was coming from.

"You're gonna pay for that!" said a young, rough male voice.

And then there was the sound of a girl struggling, growling and making angry vocal sounds, but without saying words.

The sounds matched Ro's voice. It was coming from an alley a few yards away.

o—o—o

"At first I only wanted some creds," said Rodney. He slipped some brass knuckles onto his right hand and punched his left palm. "But now it's payback time!"

Jack laughed maniacally as he held Ro in front of him. "Ooh! Blondie's gonna get it good!"

Rodney stood in front of Ro and raised his fist.

"You!" shouted a voice from the entrance of the alleyway.

"Huh?" Both thugs turned their heads to look at the newcomer.

"Release my friend!" Zee shouted as he walked into the alley.

Jack groaned.

Rodney scoffed, and then leered dangerously at Zee. "You want her?" He pulled out a knife from his jacket and grabbed Ro out of Jack's hands, pushing her to the ground beside him.

Ro landed hard and let out a pained sound.

"You give me all the creds you've got, and I won't cut her pretty face," he said, pointing the knife downward, at Ro.

Zee's looked at them angrily. "I don't think you deserve any creds," he said, as he continued to close the distance between them.

Jack took a step back, getting a bad feeling. "Hey, dude, let's get out of here," he said to Rodney, sounding nervous.

"Shut up!" Rodney said to Jack, pushing him aside. "I want some creds, man! Stay back and toss 'em over, or your girlfriend's gonna get a major makeover!" he shouted to Zee.

Rodney lowered the knife to Ro's face.

Zee's eyes turned to slits, and he shot out his hand in a flash.

"What the?!" Rodney cried out, as Zee's extended, metal hand clenched over his wrist, making him drop the knife.

Jack gasped and backed away.

Zee lifted Rodney by the wrist, holding him up in the air as he walked toward Ro.

"Aaah! Let go of me, you freak!" Rodney shouted, afraid and angry at the same time.

"Ro, are you okay?" Zee asked, helping her stand up.

Ro smiled as she looked at him.

"Jack! Get 'im!" shouted Rodney, from his place in the air.

"But…" Jack said, hesitant.

"What are you, a girl?! Just get him! Break his face! Come on!" Rodney shouted.

Jack's face hardened. "All right!" he said, removing a pair of silver knuckles from his jacket and slipping them over his hand.

Zee pushed Ro back, guarding her protectively.

Jack came at Zee, viciously punching out at him with his fist.

Zee blocked the blows easily and pushed the thug backwards.

Jack tripped over a metal bar. He looked at it, realizing that it could be used to cause some serious damage, and grabbed it. He stood up and rushed at Zee, holding the bar out like a bat.

Zee blocked the first and second blows with his only free hand, but the third blow caught him in the shoulder.

It was a hard hit, but Zee didn't even move. Jack however, was left with a ringing bar and unbearable pain in his hands. It was as if he'd just hit something metal.

"Aaargh!" Jack said, dropping the bar. "Man, what are you?!" he said, backing away from Zee.

"He's a freak, that's what!" Rodney said, struggling and wriggling like a hooked fish on a line. "Let me go, already! LET ME GO!"

Zee grinned. "Okay," he said, and then dropped the thug.

"Aaaah!" Rodney shouted, as he fell. He landed hard on the ground, but wasted no time in picking himself up and tearing out of the alleyway.

"Hey! Wait for me!" shouted Jack, as he raced after his hoodlum friend.

As the two miscreants left the alley, Zee looked at Ro. "Are you hurt?" he asked her, scanning her for any injuries. He didn't find any, but he did notice her messy appearance.

Ro didn't answer his question. Instead, she put her arms around Zee and hugged him tightly.

"I'm glad I finally found you, Ro. And I'm glad you're okay," Zee said, returning the hug.

As he stood there, with Ro safe in his arms, his acute hearing picked up something amusing, which made him grin.

"Come on, Ro," Zee said, as his hologram flickered around them. He created new appearances for the both of them. "We have to get out of here."

o—o—o

Rodney and Jack were so busy running away from the alley that they didn't realize they'd just run into a pair of cops.

"Get outta my way!" Rodney shouted, almost desperately, as he attempted to push a tall, muscular man aside. But then he froze as he noticed the badge and the shirt color of the man he was trying to push.

Mouth open, both teenagers looked up at the tall officers' faces.

"Well, well, well," one officer said, with a hardened look on his face. "What do we have here, Wilder?"

"They look like a couple of troublemakers to me, Harris," Officer Wilder responded.

Both boys paled.

The officers grabbed the teenagers by their jackets.

Officer Harris, who held Rodney, gripped the boy's wrist and held it up, seeing the brass knuckles. Jack tried to hide his behind his back, but Officer Wilder grabbed his arm and saw the silver knuckles.

"Boys, you know these are illegal in Lockset County. You runnin' from a brawl, or what?" said Officer Harris.

"No, officer! I swear! There was this weird guy in the alley, and he had long, metal arms!" said Rodney.

"Yeah!" Jack said. "And he didn't even wince when I…" he trailed off, suddenly realizing that he would only be incriminating himself if he exposed certain details.

Both officers exchanged glances.

"_Riiight_," said Officer Harris. "Well you can just tell us all about this man with the long, metal arms— down at the station, that is."

They led the boys to their police car and cuffed them as they searched the two hoodlums.

"But we didn't do anything! We swear!" Rodney said.

"Yeah! I mean, it's not like we _hurt_ anybody or nothin' like that," added Jack.

Rodney kicked the other boy. "Shut up! Stop saying stuff already!" he said.

"He's got freedom of speech, young man. He can say all he wants," said Officer Wilder, as he confiscated the metal knuckles and got the two unruly teenagers into the police car.

"Wilder, you keep an eye on them. I'm gonna go check out that alley," Harris said.

He went into the alley and looked around. There was no one there— but he did notice something gleaming in the dim light, and walked toward it.

"Yep. Those boys are in trouble, all right," Harris said, grinning as he muttered to himself.

The knife on the ground had the name "Rodney Culver" carved into its handle.

o—o—o

_To be continued…_

Please review. :)


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